noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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US:/ˈvɝ.d͡ʒɛs.k(j)u/
UK:/ˈvɜː.d͡ʒɛs.k(j)u/
1
noun
Meaning 1
The white shield that was the mark of novice knights, especially in Arthurian legend.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English [Term?], from Old French vierge escu (literally “virgin shield”). It was white because it lacked a background or devices, which celebrated accomplishments, of which the knight had none.